Come to Daddy
by KishinofMadness
Summary: There is a very fine line between love and obsession. Unfortunately, Asura has never been good at staying inside the lines. When boredom leads to a casual obsession with Maka, he brands the Meister his new "toy". Will she survive playing the Kishin's game?
1. His Little One

_/Greetings. This started as a drabble on my RP blog, but It's been fairly popular, and rattling around my head, so I think I'm going to stretch it out. Be warned, you will encounter Masura within these words. Lots of it. And no SoMa. Let's get that out of the way right off._

_Also, this will contain things that will make you blush. It's rated M for a reason, and that reason is that I cannot make it MA. I might export this to somewhere less weird about smut later, if I feel like making it really spicy. Also, I do not write Asura nice. Do not expect the Kishin to be a fluffy kitty. There are plenty of others for that._

_I am clearly not Okubo Atsushi, and I do not own Soul Eater. It would be better written if I did._

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**Chapter 1 - His Little One**

The Kishin had watched her, from day to day, as she went about her business. It had been simple boredom at first—he'd watched a great many of the humans from his kingdom above—but in time, he'd found himself turning his attention to the little blonde Meister more and more.

She was fascinating, really. Especially when she thought no one was watching. Oh she was cute enough around her friends, or in class. Always so cheerful and hardworking. Even if her temper showed at times, especially around the one that seemed to be her father, she shrugged it off, trying her best to make it up. Just a normal girl, nothing special, nothing at all noteworthy.

When she was alone though, or at least, when she thought herself that way, she was perfect. The smiles of triumph and pride when she studied, knowing she understood the material. The sadness that weighed down her soul on the lonely walks home alone. The tears that she allowed to flow in the shower, washed away by the water that cascaded over her shoulders, leaving no trace behind once she exited, fake smile back in place.

He had watched her for months, memorizing her routines, and learning her emotions. His favorite game was to predict her. Whispering her words to the darkness that surrounded him even as they left her lips.

It was only a short while afterwards that he realized he was in love with her. Love. Obsession. They were the same thing to him really. He had perfected his observations, able to keep watch over her even as he slept. Sometimes, he fancied himself her guardian angel. Or something more. A god watching over her from the heavens above her. His chosen one, innocent and strong, pure and perfect.

He had learned the curves of her body, and the sway of her movements. His fingers danced in the darkness, aching to caress her, to know her, to feel her struggle beneath him. He knew her words, but not the sound of her voice. How would it feel to hear her whisper pleas and pant prayers in his ear while he held her against him?

His precious angel, she was pure. No man or woman had touched her in all the time he had been watching her. Oh, her little Weapon had tried. Staring after her with hopeful eyes that escaped her notice. But Asura knew, she was saving herself for him. Her purity was his to tarnish, and he could already taste it.

He traced her image lazily before him, the lines remaining in his sight, her phantom silhouette dancing for him as she undressed. Down below, he kept his attention partly on her true actions, for the moment less interested by them than the shadow of her he had conjured. She was looking up, her Weapon by her side. Searching for something? It was unimportant. Her ghost knelt before him, offering herself to him, her lips parted in desire. He beckoned her closer as her wavelength below expanded, searching, searching. His hand brushed over her, so close it was nearly truth as her lips skimmed over him, eager to satisfy. Gods he could nearly feel her. The Maka below, the one that existed in covetous flesh, nearly escaped his mind, he was so captivated by the fantasy he had made of her.

And then it happened.

After so long watching her, she looked back. He felt it, felt her soul brush alongside his. Crimson eyes flashed open, his phantom lover vanishing in a heartbeat. She had found him. His soul lurched, feeling the recoil of revulsion from her. He disgusted her? He frightened her? Impossible. He _loved_ her, how could she be afraid of him after all of the nights he had held her? _Didn't she know she was his?_

She would tell them in the end. Tell the others where to find him. It wasn't her fault. His poor little misled queen couldn't know her words were betrayal. She was just too innocent. But it was alright. He would forgive her. He would always forgive her.

The Kishin relaxed.

All would be well. There was no need to worry. So she was aware of him, she had seen him. This was perfect, in fact. Who would believe her if she spoke? He had taken care of the loose ends, and now it was time to stop dreaming and make her his. His Clowns would take care of the others. They would have a blood red carpet for their wedding, and a captive audience for their vows. All he had to do was wait. His queen was coming to him, and soon there would be no more need of phantom fantasies to fulfill his desires.


	2. No Harm in Dreaming

/Hey I managed to update quickly. Let's see how long this carries on. This time it's Maka's POV. In case you're wondering, this story takes place in the manga verse, but assumes the Moon Arc never happened. Thank you for the reviews, and I will try and keep this updated. Hopefully my chapters will get longer as well.

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**Chapter 2 - No Harm in Dreaming**

His hands. His arms, his_ lips_. Maka panted, whisper-soft moans escaping her throat as he moved down, down, down her body. How could chill skin feel so good pressed against her? It felt as if she was on fire, and the only thing that could possibly quench it would be to cling to him, seeking salvation in his arms.

"Asura..." she whispered, her hands tangling in his hair as he kissed a cool trail down her body. Dear Death it felt amazing. Her skin was alive, singing in pleasure at each touch her Kishin, her lover, her god, blessed her with. As he moved between her legs, tracing slow circles along her inner thighs as he gently moved them apart, she knew, this was perfection. This was heaven. This was...

Only a dream.

The Meister's eyes snapped open, a startled gasp quickly followed by a raging blush serving as her good morning to the world. What the hell was that? Again? Huffing in frustration, she sat up, all too aware of the heat that still lingered unfulfilled in her body. Dammit. If she had to have the damned dreams every night, couldn't she at least _finish _them? It wasn't fair.

Maka shivered as the chilly air touched her heated skin, making her way quickly to the bathroom. After years of adhering to a strict schedule, she knew she had awoken right on time. At least a nice shower would distract her from how those hands had felt on her, and how wonderfully intoxicating those kisses had been.

Okay, maybe she was going to need something stronger than a shower.

The dreams had been occurring over the past three months. Irregular, but getting undeniably more frequent. The first one had shaken her to her core. Why on earth would she have _that _kind of dream about _him? _But humans have a funny way of getting used to just about anything, and Maka was no exception.

It was strange, she'd only seen him for a fraction of a second, holding his scarf as he had escaped the underground. She could have sworn he had looked at her for the briefest of moments during his battle. Perhaps she had only imagined it, but then why could she remember the shade of his eyes and the arrogant twist of his mouth so well?

Her cheeks flushed again, visions of those crimson eyes looking up at her-a confident smirk dancing across his devil lips-from between her legs flooding her mind. Hanging her towel beside the shower, she quickly undressed, trying to ignore the electric sensitivity running through her skin.

It was wrong, and she knew it. The academy was busy non-stop looking for any hint of where the Kishin might be. As a member of the elite Spartoi team, Maka had to be ready at a moment's notice to head into battle with the demon god, and yet here she was fantasizing about him. It didn't make any sense. She had no reason to think of him as anything but an enemy, and yet he was the one she thought about when she lay in bed alone, her hands drifting over her body.

Maka shook her head, letting the warm water cascade over her shoulders. They were just silly little fantasies. Just stress relief. She didn't have time for a relationship, but she had to relax somehow. She only thought about _him _because it was forbidden. The danger, and knowing it was so wrong, must be what made the thoughts so enticing. That had to be it.

And why not? There had been no sight of the Kishin since his escape years ago. They were constantly receiving reports of strange happenings around the world, caused by his madness, but each time they investigated, they could find no new clues. The few devotees of the Kishin they had managed to capture either knew nothing or refused to say. He was an ever-present threat at the Academy, it was only natural that someone that was on her mind that often would find a way into her subconscious, even if it was in an...unconventional way.

Of course, that didn't explain why sometimes she was _sure _he was watching her somehow. She would catch sight of _something_ in the corner of her eye, the disconcerting feeling of being not quite alone making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. It had disturbed her beyond belief at first. She'd reported the feelings to Dr. Stein and Lord Death, but both had assured her there was nothing to fear. It was nothing but her Grigori soul reacting to the increase of madness in the air. Constantly working to purify the air around her was bound to take a toll. Of course she should continue to report any changes, but there was no need to be concerned.

The worst had been a few months before. She had used Soul's new ability as a Death Scythe, spreading her Soul Perception to the limits of her strength. She was hoping to find some trace of Crona, but she'd been startled to feel something looking back, the vision of crimson eyes in the darkness appearing in her mind. She'd been so scared that she'd lost her concentration, too shaken up to try it again. Soul had been worried, but she reasoned it was nothing but the thick layer of insanity in the air. Still, she had dutifully reported the instance, and it was taken into consideration, but so far had turned up no new clues. Whatever it had been, she hadn't been able to find it again.

She bit her lip, rinsing the shampoo from her hair. That must have been what sparked the dreams, the image of his eyes in her mind. At first it had made it so much worse, causing her to blush in embarrassed paranoia, sure that somehow someone was watching her, and that they would know what she had been thinking. Over time, she'd gotten over it. Just her imagination, and the constant worry over finding where the Kishin was hiding. She couldn't deny that it hadn't helped her thoughts either, or that maybe in some of her lonelier moments she taken just a bit longer to get dressed than was strictly necessary. Even if it was all in her head, letting her imagination run away with her and showing off for an pretend viewer was fun. After all, it wasn't like there were any _real _guys that would look at her like that. Most of them would run screaming if they saw her naked.

Great. Now she'd depressed herself again. It had gotten harder not to feel lonely since Soul started dating. It wasn't that she _liked _him, she'd just never thought of the idea of him with other girls. Okay, maybe she'd had a _little _bit of a crush on him, and maybe she'd given a few death glares to the girls he'd taken out, but she was getting over it. It had been easier to nurse a grudge when he was taking the girls in his little 'fan club' out, but ever since he'd started seeing Liz, she'd learned to let it go. They were a cute couple, and it wasn't like she could hate her friend for seeing a guy she'd never made a move towards.

On the bright side, at least she wasn't still thinking about that dream. Pouting a bit, she stepped out of the shower, turning her mind to what needed to be done for the day. There was the daily strategy meeting with Dr. Stein-where they would likely be filled in on the shocking news that there was no news to report-then she had a few more classes to assist in, and then training with Spartoi. Life had gotten much less hectic after graduating. Sure there were more harder missions. As an alumni, she was expected to take on cases considered too difficult for students, but not having to sit in class all day had freed up a lot of her day. In other words: she was bored. Maka was beginning to understand why her mother had trouble staying in one place.

There, she nodded to herself. Cleaned, teeth brushed, and ready to get dressed. Wrapped in her robe and running a towel through her hair, Maka padded across the hall to her room. Sounded like Soul was still asleep. No surprises there. She could count on one hand the number of days she _hadn't _had to wake the lazy scythe up, and most of them were because he'd simply stayed up all night.

Dropping the robe, she let the cool air swirl around her body, drying off the last few drops of water running down her back and legs, as she pulled her clothes from the closet. Since she would be teaching, she decided on her Spartoi uniform. Most of the students had a hard enough time taking her seriously, as she was only a year or two older than them at best, and wearing the symbol of her status helped. She was beginning to sympathize much more with Sid and Dr. Stein. Students could be a major pain in the ass, especially when she was trying to get them to pay attention to something they weren't particularly interested in.

She walked to her bed, laying out the clothes as she finished drying her hair, when she suddenly found herself no longer alone. She froze, throat locking up in terror as she felt _someone _at her back, standing right behind her. The next second, her training kicked in. Ducking down, Maka tossed an elbow behind her, twisting out of the way of a grab as she did. Her attack met empty air, as she got a big eye full of empty room. Her heart felt like it was going to explode, staring frantically around the small bedroom. She was _sure _there had been someone there. She'd felt their breath on her neck, and the soft brush of fabric against her skin. _  
_

The adrenaline began to recede as the clock ticked on into the silence, and she began to feel a bit silly. She would have noticed if there had been someone in the house. Her nerves must be more wound up than she'd thought. If she was starting to hallucinate, maybe it was beyond time for a holiday. She shook her head, laughing at herself as she began to trace her hands slowly over her naked shoulders, trailing them slowly down to cup her breasts.

Wait. What? Startled, she dropped her hands. What in the hell was she doing? It must be that damned dream. Her stupid lonely, horny subconscious must be _real _damned needy today. She bit her lip as she looked up, catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror. Small, perky breasts, a slim, toned stomach, and full hips. She usually felt she looked childish and shapeless, but somehow, at least for a moment, she thought she looked, well, _sexy_.

Keeping her eyes on her reflection, she stepped closer to the mirror, swaying her hips to the side as she did. Part of her felt beyond silly, but she couldn't bring herself to stop. Her hands went to her sides, sliding up to caress her breasts, her palms running over the quickly erect nipples. Dear Death, why was she so _hot _all of a sudden? Her skin felt flushed, and the heat seemed to radiate from deep inside her, matching the pull between her legs.

A low moan slipped from her lips as she fondled herself, her eyes locked on her reflection. Were those her eyes? They looked colder somehow, as if teasing and challenging her to go on.

Her lips parted as she moved lower down her body, turning to the side so the teasing reflection had a better view. It only seemed natural that her green eyes would turn red as she watched, and that her mirror twin's movements wouldn't quite match her own. She bent over, running her hands over her hips, remembering the feel of his cold hands on her body. Her own were a pale comparison.

She didn't remember when she'd gotten closer to the mirror, pressing her body to it's cold glass surface, and she didn't think to question why her hand caressed the face on the other side, as it began to look less and less like her, and more like _him. _Her lips pressed against the surface, not at all surprised when the glass gave way in ripples, pulling her in as lips that were even colder returned the kiss.

"_Goddamnit you stupid cat, I told you to stay out of my room!" _

Maka yelped at the angry voice echoed through the apartment, jumping back from the mirror as if it had suddenly grown fangs. _What the hell was that?! _The sounds of an angry Soul tossing a disappointed magic cat out of his room rang through the apartment, but Maka hardly noticed, her heart feeling like it was going to beat right out of her chest.

Blushing bright, she quickly dressed, making sure _not _to look in the mirror again. That hadn't been normal. There was feeling a little frisky, sure, but it was like she'd been in a dream, not quite in control of her movements. Worse, the memory was already fuzzy, her actions slipping from her mind like the morning after waking.

The longer she thought about it, the sillier it seemed. Why was she worried? So she'd thought she looked nice in her reflection. Why was that a problem? She'd walked over for a better look and played with her hair a bit, posing. There wasn't anything strange about it. Somehow, that didn't sound quite right, but she couldn't find any flaws in it. Shrugging her shoulders at the strange feeling that clung to her, she tugged her hair into her pigtails before heading out to clean up the mess her roommates had surely made.

_Let's see_, she thought, going over the day's agenda: _Meeting with Dr. Stein, class, and training with Spartoi, then I have to take a walk_. Can't forget. Her daily walk was very important. It gave her time to be alone. She couldn't remember how long she'd been doing it, but she was certain it had been a part of her daily schedule for a very long time now. It was important to make sure she walked to the edges of Death City. There couldn't be anyone around. She was looking forward to it, it was her favorite part of the day.

"Blair," she called out as she headed to the kitchen, "Can you stop teasing Soul long enough to help me with breakfast? We're going to be late." It was a very important day after all. Maka had to make sure she was ready.


	3. Waiting Games

_/_See I knew I couldn't keep up that speed. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter, but ah well. At least it exists, right?

Thank you all for the reviews. They really do keep me going. Every one reminds me, hey, someone out there is enjoying this, and I should probably get off my butt and write more. Even if it's just a little blurb, taking the time to let me know you enjoyed it means a lot. I also like advice, and I'll try and answer any questions you have up here in these things. At any route, the show must go on. Here you go dears.

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**Chapter 3 - Waiting Games**

_Well that was fun. _Asura grinned in satisfaction, sitting back. He'd been worried she would put up more of a fight to a direct attempt at control, but it seemed the dreams had done their job well. Maka's soul and mind had been pleasantly pliable, both opening to him with little resistance. He had no doubt she would offer her body to him with the same ease when the time came.

It had been at times infuriating, moving forward at such a slow pace, but it was all proving worth it now. The young Meister had grown accustomed to the visions of him in her sleep, at first frightened and confused, but then learning to accept him, and even to look forward to their little visits. The choice to revisit them on her own in her waking 'private time' was all her own, and had come as a pleasant surprise to the Kishin. The shy, quiet whispers of his name she uttered were all he needed to keep moving forward, eagerly awaiting the day they would fall across his skin as he held her in the flesh.

The Kishin stretched as he stood, bones popping in protest. How long had he been sitting there? Watching his little pet was just too addictive. Grinning to himself as he let the image of her naked body linger in his mind, he stepped outside into the chilly morning, staring up at the fading image of the grinning moon. It had been a nice little nest while he had gathered his power, but he'd had to return to the world below eventually. The distance had been necessary. After so long imprisoned, his wavelength had been erratic, uncontrollable, giving off strong pulses of madness at the most inconvenient times. He'd needed the time alone to regain himself.

He was confident now. His greatest weapon was under his control once more. With the insanity that he had let slowly slip over the earth, his own soul would be nearly undetectable as long as he was careful. He would look like nothing more than another infected soul, unless of course he chose to reveal himself. Something he had no intention of doing anytime soon, except of course for her.

Maka Albarn...why did she have such a hold on him? Asura was no stranger to obsession, but this little one held his attention in a way that bordered on insane. Of course, it might have _been _insane, who could tell? Asura had long ago ceased to attempt and separate reason from madness in his actions.

She would be his. After months of moving at a snail's pace, opening her mind to the idea of him, he would have her soon. It had been a fun game. The first night, the first time he had found the door to her dreams, he had been so charmed by her he had nearly thrown it all away, coming down to take her at that moment. She was captivating. Even in her unguarded sleep, she had been wary, unwilling to give herself away so easily. It had been so worth it tho. In the comfort of illusion, he'd had no need to worry about breaking her, no need to be gentle. The first few times, he had been anything but loving. So glad to finally see her reactions to his presence-even if it was only an echo of reality-he had been unable to hold back, taking her forcefully.

He'd raped her in her dreams, tasting her shock and anger and tears, but that hadn't lasted. If he'd only wanted to possess her body, his plan would have been much simpler. He'd given her space, letting her get over the shock and disgust that had been her initial reaction. He'd waited. The perfect opportunity had presented itself, as he'd known it would.

She'd been weak, hurt and alone. Her little Weapon had finally moved on, settling on a lesser female after she had ignored his movements. She had been oblivious to the scythe's intentions, and seeing him with another had been an unpleasant shock. His poor little one, she had no need to be sad. She was far too precious to belong to a mortal.

And so he had come to her again, as the tears she had cried herself to sleep with dried on her cheeks, he had found her in her mind once more. Gently this time, he had held her, kissing her cheeks and lips until she opened herself to him. Gods he loved her. Her pain and affection were both so delicious. He could taste her for eternity and never tire of her flavors.

Enough of that for now. Asura could be patient. He had waited this long, it was only a few more hours now. Turning from the glaring sun, he walked back inside, letting the heavy doors slam behind him. His new 'home' was much more comfortable than the lunar caverns had been. He'd needed to be close to her, but not so very close that he would be unable to see if one of Death's little dogs started sniffing a little too close. The abandoned church had been perfect.

The doors had been roped off, the ratty tape warning 'caution'. Asura couldn't piece together exactly what had happened within, but the lingering scent of blood and air of madness that seethed from within gave him a clue. It seemed the little flock had lost its way, finding themselves stumbling in the darkness of insanity. Sad really. It could be such a paradise, but he supposed some simply weren't cut out for it. The glasses and pretty dishes had stood still in their places, where the congregation had enjoyed their own last supper together. The blood trails led from the back forward. He could just see it in his mind, the flash of the knife, and the sound of spilling blood as the pastor led each of his lost little sheep home in turn.

He looked up at the faded image ahead of him, the wall pristine where they had taken down the cross that had once hung there. He could see its outline still, even past the messily painted three eyes symbol that had taken its place. Sacrifice to the gods, how touching. He would have been more thankful if they'd waited until their useless little souls could have actually been collected. This was just wasteful.

The Kishin sighed, descending the stairs behind the pulpit. He was patient, yes, but this day was going to try even his limits. He wanted her _now, _dammit. He sat once more, his two eyes closing as he fell back into his meditative state, the third staring forward to keep watch. They would be together soon, but he wanted to wait with her. Was his little one dreaming still of him as well?

* * *

Maka blushed bright red, stuttering over her sentence. Dammit. She was in the middle of class, trying desperately to get the students to pay attention as she described the difference between a full Resonance and a Soul Perception Link-up, when the image of those crimson eyes flashed through her mind. Why would she think of that _now? _

"I uh, well a Resonance is pretty normal, at least for us, and a Link-up takes a special kind of soul that can see, uh, more." God the way he'd felt against her in the dream. The way his lips had moved with hers...

She could see the kids checking out. She was losing them as she lost her mind in la-la land. The Meister cleared her throat, taking a drink from her water bottle as she gathered her thoughts. Smiling at the class, she sat the bottle back down with a loud crack, regaining their attention. "Sorry about that, I spaced out for a minute there. Shall we continue?"

Why couldn't she stop thinking about him? Maka had never been more happy to hear the bell ring. The sound of the faucet running almost drowned out the commotion from the hallway as she splashed cool water in her face, trying to find her focus. She shivered as she looked up, the hair on the back of her neck raising at the sight of the mirror, although she couldn't place why. Something...happened this morning? Her hands went to her head, gently massaging her temples. It was like there was a gap there, something she _should _remember, but just didn't. Thinking about it gave her a headache, a dull ring rising from the back of her skull.

_"Asura." _His name fell from her lips, bringing her from her thoughts. Had she meant to say that? She didn't remember making the decision to. Maka blinked, looking down at her hand, reaching out. The water running from the faucet was scalding hot, pouring steam that had fogged the mirror above it. Her hand moved slowly, tracing again and again over the three eyes she had drawn on the glass. She watched in fascination, feeling oddly disconnected from her body as the action repeated yet again.

The sound of the bathroom door opening drew her finally back to reality, quickly wiping the image from the glass as she shut off the water, heart pounding.

Marie Mjolnir's smile slipped as she watched the young Meister jump. It was so humid, how long had that water been running? "Maka? Are you okay?" The Death Scythe asked in concern.

Maka thought her heart was going to explode. Had she seen? Marie would know what that symbol meant. She'd heard it described in enough detail by Doctor Stein when he was battling the madness. "I-I'm fine," she lied with a forced laugh. "I'm a little tired. I was up late last night, and I guess I spaced out. It got awfully foggy in here, huh?" Stick with the same excuse. It was safer that way.

Marie's eyes narrowed in worry as she stepped closer, placing her small hand on Maka's forehead. "Are you sure you're feeling alright? You don't look well. Why don't you stop by the clinic? Franken will be there for a bit longer. He's got some work to catch up on. If you're getting sick, you should take care of it early." She smiled, giving the girl a pat on the shoulder. "We can't have one of our top Meister's out with the flu."

"Right," Maka smiled, touched by the concern. Miss Marie was always thinking about everyone else. She didn't want to give her another reason to worry. "I'm going to get some fresh air, and if I'm still feeling out of it, I'll stop by. Thank you."

"That's a good girl. Your father will never shut up if you get sick. Save us all from that torture, if you don't care. Now uh...could you point me in the direction of the Death Room? I was _sure _this was it..."

* * *

Training was normally one of Maka's favorite parts of the day. Sure, Black*Star could be annoying sometimes, but getting to cut loose and focus on getting stronger, especially with her friends beside her, made it all worth it.

"Again," Kid ordered, Liz and Patty returning to their human forms on either side of him. The young god's confidence had grown over the years, especially after his escape from the Book of Eibon, and he had slowly but surely become more of a leader. When they were in the field, the group still naturally fell to looking towards Maka for leadership, but more and more Death the Kid had taken over their training.

His obsession with perfection could be frustrating sometimes, but Maka knew it was worth it. He drilled them until they could pull off every single maneuver flawlessly, practicing until the movements were muscle memory, as easy as breathing.

The others grumbled, returning to their starting positions as they got ready to give the move yet another go. They'd worked together so long now that they were practically all one partnership. Their team Resonance was nearly as strong the bond between a single Weapon and Meister, their thoughts and actions so well known that they could predict each other's positions on the battlefield with their eyes closed. Spartoi had gone from being an elite group of promising students to the single most effective battle squad in the DMWA. Their ranks had grown as more students were recruited, but the core membership remained the same, with the three teams as the undisputed combat leaders. They were liquid smooth together, working flawlessly. It was a thing of beauty to watch them dispatch their targets, and even their training maneuvers frequently drew a crowd of observers, eager to learn from the best.

Maka just wished she could get her head in the game today. She knew damned well, even if Kid would never say as much, that she was the one throwing them off. Her reactions were too slow, her body seeming to take just a second too long to process the incoming commands. It was like each new piece of information had to pass through a filter, slowing her down just enough to be noticeable. It was driving her crazy, and she knew it was frustrating her teammates.

Sighing, she shook her head, trying to force focus. She hated slowing them down. She would not be the reason they failed. They would _not _fail. They would kill the Kishin, and return sanity to the world. That was their mission. That was their purpose. No matter how much some crazy part of her wanted to see those red eyes on her again, he was an enemy, and it was well past time to stop letting her dreams sneak into her waking thoughts. She was Maka Albarn, and she would not fail.

* * *

"One little failure doesn't mean anything, Maka," Kid consoled, patting her shoulder. "You're just having an off day. It happens to all of us. Are you sure you're feeling alright? Maybe you're coming down with something."

Ugh. Maka resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If one more person asked her if she was sick... But no, she knew it was only out of concern for her. She smiled, wincing a bit in soreness as she stood. Being out of it came with a price when there were punches to dodge, and Black*Star didn't know the meaning of 'hold back'. "I'm sorry, Kid. I know you wanted to move on. I'll get some rest tonight, and give it 200% next time."

Kid nodded, already adjusting his schedule. This would throw them off, but not too badly. He'd wanted to get them started on cross-partner battles soon, but it would have to wait. No matter. They would pull through. They always did. "You do that. And look over those schematics I gave you. They should help you to remember the positions. Sleep on it. I'm sure we'll get it perfect next time."

Giving his friend a comforting squeeze on the shoulder, and then one on the other for good measure, Kid left her, heading off to chase down his errant Weapons. He'd heard them mention something about shopping, and he had the sneaking suspicion he knew whose credit card was going to be bearing the brunt of the attack if he didn't catch up soon...

Maka sighed, smiling as the Reaper darted off. He'd tried to hide it, but she knew he was disappointed. She glanced down at the confusing stack of papers he had handed her. She was getting a headache just thinking about all the time reading over them was going to take. Or maybe that was just from the insistent ringing that had been buzzing around the back of her skull for the last few hours. It was getting louder, and harder to ignore. Almost as if it was impatient for something. With a groan, she picked up her bag, heading off to grab a quick shower. She needed to clear her head, and she knew just the way to do it. She was looking forward to getting off to herself. A little peace and quiet out of the city would be just what she needed to get her mind off of _him,_ and back where it belonged.

The impatience grew as she showered, feeling like something was tugging at the back of her mind, urging her to hurry. Hurry and leave. Hurry and come to him. He was waiting. So close, and soon his hands would be on her, and she would be his.

She would be whose? Maka paused as she tied her damp hair back up, trying to track down that thought. But like a dream the morning after, it was gone. She couldn't even remember what it had been, or why it had seemed important. All that was left was a vague sense of unreality, and the feeling that something was somehow not right.

Everything was fine. Everything was perfect, or it would soon be. She left her bag on the bench beside her, pulling her jacket around her. She had to leave. She had waited long enough. Too long. Her Kishin was impatient, his hands twitching with the urge to touch her skin, and she would not keep him waiting any longer for her. Her emerald eyes were glassy as she walked, her pace quick and purposeful. She was so excited, her body tingling at the thought of giving herself to him finally.

The buildings passed quickly, becoming more and more sparse as she moved towards the city gates, only a few broken ones dotting the empty area outside the walls. There it was. The old church she had read about. The minister had gone mad a few years back, the insanity spreading like infection to his congregation, until they had all died. A mass murder the investigators had called ritual suicide. No one had gone near it since, Death having warned that the taint of madness might still be potent enough to infect the unwary.

Ignoring the warnings posted, the young Meister opened the doors, walking in a daze through the blood stained sanctuary. Her excitement rose as she descended the stairs, finally feeling him so close to her. Her master was just beyond the door, waiting for her, wanting her.

The door slammed shut behind her, clarity crashing down on her as her eyes met his. The room was dominated by a pile of scarlet cushions and covers, clothing scattered around as if tossed off carelessly, and in the middle of it all, him. _The Kishin __Asura. _He was there, right in front of her. Maka's heart seemed to fill with ice, terror flooding her as the Kishin smiled, holding out his hand to her.

"Welcome home. I've been waiting for you, Maka."


End file.
